Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Joss Whedon.
*Posting on behalf of Spencer yet again.
***And I think this might be a record for the time in between the last update and this one...for me anyway.
**Part 49
Tara stood in the living room of the cabin looking out the large window and watching her children play together in the snow. All the wonderful things she had in her life still amazed her. When she was younger and dreamed about her future, it was just like this. Well, maybe not just like this. They had a few more children than she thought she wanted when she was younger, but now it seemed like they didn't have enough. She smiled as she watched the kids throwing snowballs back and forth at each other. Jesse batting down one that was about to hit Mitchell. Summer darting back and forth with Rhiannon on her back so she could get close enough for her little snowballs to reach her siblings. Rupert sneaking up on Soleil, only to have Mitchell save his sister. She and Willow had worried about how he would fit in with the other children and if they would accept him as their brother, but after being with the family for only a day it was like he had always been there. He was such a sweet little boy, always willing to help in any way he could. It was evident in his actions how much he cherished having a family. As Tara continued watching the kids, she noticed that Summer and Harris were on the same team for once, which made her smile even more. They were so different she had thought they might never be friends, but now they seemed to spend a lot of time whispering to each another and laughing, instead of fighting or ignoring one another. Tara was pulled out of her reverie as she felt two slender arms wrap around her from behind, and she leaned back into the embrace.
"Whatcha doin?" Willow asked resting her head on her wife's shoulder.
"Watching the kids," Tara smiled.
"Who's winning?" Willow said, watching the snowballs fly through the air.
"I think Jesse, Soleil, Rupert, and Mitchell," Tara replied, "but it's hard to tell."
"Well they do have more people, so it really isn't a fair fight," Willow pointed out.
"Are you suggesting we have one more to even things out?" Tara asked playfully.
"No," Willow said laughing, "Don't go changing my plan on me."
"I won't, and couldn't without you anyway," Tara said as she turned around so she was facing Willow. After gazing at her wife for a moment, the blonde slowly leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss.
"Mmmmm, I never want to leave here," Willow stated, swaying back and forth with Tara to music only they could hear.
"It is nice," Tara said dreamily. "Maybe a little more cold than I prefer..."
"Are you going to complain about the weather?" Willow asked shocked.
"No, no complaining here, just an observation," Tara smiled. "I really am going to miss the lack of complaining that's been going on since we got here. Though I am afraid we're going to end up with a house full of sniffles when we go home, and then there's going to be lots of complaining."
"Why sniffles?" Willow asked.
"The weather change," Tara answered.
"Weather does not cause the sniffles," Willow said with certainty, the scientist in here beginning to show her face.
"Then why is that every time people go from cold weather to warm weather or vice versa, they get the sniffles?" Tara asked.
"I have no idea, but sniffles are caused by germs," Willow said matter of factly.
"We'll see," Tara said smiling.
"If you're right, I'll be your love slave for life," Willow smiled.
"You're already my love slave for life, darling," she reminded her wife as she leaned in for another lingering kiss.
"Hi," Rhiannon interrupted with a smile as she squeezed in between her Mommies.
"What are you doing in here?" Willow asked picking up her daughter.
"They sent me in," Rhiannon said between giggles as Willow kissed her over and over. "We want you to come out and play with us."
"You mean you want to throw snowballs at us," Tara questioned.
"Uh huh," Rhiannon nodded with the innocence that only a young child bears.
"Ok, go tell your brothers and sisters we'll be right out as soon as we're all bundled up," Willow said putting her down and giving her a light pat on her bottom as she watched her run off to spread the word.
"You do realize we'll be fighting a losing battle," Tara said as she put her boots on.
"Why do you say that?"
"Oh...I dunno...seven against two," Tara said smiling.
"I have a plan," Willow said, waggling her eyebrows at her wife.
"Don't you always?" Tara responded coyly.
"Yep, and it's a good one too," Willow said leaning over and whispering in Tara's ear.
"This worries me," Tara stated as she and Willow walked outside, not a child to be found anywhere.
"It's an ambush," Willow whispered, raising a garbage can lid just below her eyes, and going into battle mode.
She motioned to Tara where she thought the kids were hiding and instructed Tara to raise hers too as they crept around outside. Suddenly from all directions the snowballs started flying. There was no way to avoid them all.
"We have to wait for them to reload," Willow said laughing as snowballs pelted them from every corner of the yard.
"We're toast," Tara said falling back into the snow and giving herself up.
"Do you surrender?" Rupert yelled from an undisclosed location.
"We surrender," Willow said falling back next to Tara.
"We win," Soleil yelled as she ran out from her hiding spot and tackled her Mommies, followed by Rhiannon, Mitchell, and Rupert.
"Do we have to leave tomorrow, Mommy?" Rupert asked.
"I'm afraid so," Willow frowned.
"I don't like it when the vacation ends," he said rolling off his Mommy.
"Me either," Soleil said.
"We have to go home," Jesse said, "Some of us have school."
"All of us have school," Summer corrected.
"Not all of us," Jesse said, "Momma doesn't go to school, Mom doesn't go to school, and neither does Rhiannon."
"No, but Mom has work," Summer pointed out, "And Momma teaches Christopher and Rhiannon so that counts."
"Fine," Jesse said rolling her eyes.
"Who wants hot chocolate?" Tara asked, when she was finally free of the children on top of her.
"I do, I do," Rhiannon said excitedly as Tara watched hands shoot up from each of her children, as well as her wife.
"Okay, everyone inside and we'll have some hot chocolate," Tara said.
"And a ghost story by the fire place?" Mitchell asked.
"And a ghost story by the fire place," Willow said smiling as the kids ran inside, leaving both Willow and Tara laying in the snow. Willow stood up, and offered her hand to Tara who gladly excepted. "I love you," she said when Tara was standing.
"I love you too, Sweetie," Tara said leaning forward and kissing her wife.
"Ewww, gross," Rupert said, "You do that enough at home, this is vacation!"
"Really," Summer agreed, holding the door open for her mothers.
"Now I can't wait to get home if it means I get to kiss you as much as want," Willow said smiling at her children who looked at her with disgusted faces.
"Now I really wish we didn't have to go home," Rupert groaned.
-annie
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"Why do you try to hold on to what you'll never get a hold of? You wouldn't try to put the ocean in a paper cup."
~Ani Difranco, 'Hour Follows Hour'
at: 8/22/03 11:07 am
Mainer,
It was so cute 
and funny 
and 
and all 7 of the kids. Oh 
more. Update soon, please? 
I'm sorry guys...this has been a "bitch" of a winter/new year. 
**
Another baby? Wow, eight children, and Jesse is already on her way to college...damn, time flies. And Rhiannon is already in Kndergarden? 
at: 2/20/04 1:15 pm
at: 2/20/04 6:35 pm
*ahem*